Turkey: 58 sentenced to life in prison over coup bid

Defendants found guilty of attempting to overthrow constitutional order

By Mustafa Hatipoğlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Istanbul court on Friday sentenced 58 people to life in prison for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order through occupying the offices of state broadcaster TRT and satellite television provider Digiturk in Istanbul on the night of the July 15, 2016 defeated coup attempt.

Twenty-three of them were handed aggravated life sentences, a judicial source said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions over speaking to the media.

Fifty-six were sentenced to an additional four to five years in prison for illegally trying to prevent media broadcasts while 16 were handed prison sentences ranging from 11 years and eight months to 16 years for attempted murder. The court released 35 suspects.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the coup attempt which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Hundreds of defendants in numerous cases across Turkey are accused of being involved in the defeated coup as well as being members of FETO, which attempted to overthrow the government and the constitutional order on the night of July 15, 2016.